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- For other places by the name, see Santa Maria.
Santa Maria is a town in Ilocos Sur with extensive beaches, a UNESCO World Heritage-designated Spanish-era church and a towering waterfall.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Santa Maria is one of the oldest settlements in Ilocos Sur, having been founded by the Spanish in 1576. It is home to about 30,000 people (census, 1 July 2024) 
Get in
[edit | edit source]Santa Maria is along Route 2 (Manila North Road). Buses heading to Vigan and Laoag also ply this highway. A junction at the northern edge of downtown in Barangay Baliw Daya leads to Santa Maria-Burgos Road, a gateway to the highland towns of the Amburayan River Valley via Tirad Pass, and Mountain Province.
Get around
[edit | edit source]Tricycles are the main form of transportation in town, particularly as downtown Santa Maria is further inland from the coast.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Minor Basilica and Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Assumption (Santa Maria Church), Santa Maria-Burgos Road, Poblacion Sur, ☏ +63 917 700 3136, nuestrasenoradelaasuncion23@gmail.com. Santa Maria's main Roman Catholic church, built during the Spanish era in the Baroque style in 1765. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 for its unique architecture and its dual purpose as a fortress built on a hilltop to defend the town against pirates and foreign invaders from the South China Sea. The church also houses the venerated Marian image known in Ilocano as Apo Baket.
- 2 Pinsal Falls, Baballasioan. A stunning 85 feet (26 m) cascade with turquoise waters on the boundary with Abra province.
- 3 Suso Beach, Manila North Road, Suso. The main beach in Santa Maria, featuring cream-colored sands and free access.
Do
[edit | edit source]Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Savemore Market Santa Maria, Manila North Road, Maynganay Sur.
- 2 Santa Maria Wet Market, Baliw Daya (at the back of Savemore).
Eat
[edit | edit source]A unique delicacy in town is balicucha, a hand-pulled candy made from sugarcane juice.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Sleep
[edit | edit source]Most accommodations are along the coast.
Connect
[edit | edit source]The town's postal code is 2705.
Go next
[edit | edit source]| Routes through Santa Maria |
| Vigan ← Narvacan ← | N  S | → San Esteban → Candon |